The trouble starts when the grocery store gets involved. You see a jar of pickles that says “33% extra free!” You think you are getting a deal, but your brain freezes. Is that a third of the jar? Is it lying to you? Probably.
Here’s the trick: convert that 33% into a number. 33% is just 0.33. If the jar normally holds 12 pickles, you are getting about four extra sad, floating cucumbers. Suddenly, the magic wears off. You realize it’s still just pickles.
Chapter 9
When Sales Tax Attacks
Sales tax is the villain of this story. You have a cart full of snacks, the total looks amazing, and then the clerk says the magic words: “Plus tax.” Your soul leaves your body. You know it’s going to be about 8%, but what does that mean in dollars?
Grab 8, turn it into 0.08 (just like before). Multiply that by your $50 cart. That’s $4 more. Now you are annoyed, but at least you know exactly how annoyed you should be. It is the power of converting a fuzzy feeling into cold, hard reality.
